Teens with Jobs

School, family, and friends. Teenagers in Evanston already have a lot to juggle in today’s world. But when you toss a part time job into their already full schedule, the other important things will most likely begin to falter and seem less important?
Homework is a very large part of grades for most students at EHS, as it is in most schools. Most students have almost 6 hours of homework a week, that’s over an hour per night. A part time job may make it difficult to keep grades up? Tasha Tingey, sophomore at EHS, said “my grades have gone down since I got a job, it makes it harder to find time to study and do homework. I find myself doing homework really late at night or even during class”.
Ashley Stineford, Junior at EHS, works almost every night 4-11 and she has been able to keep her grades consistently at A’s and B’s. However Tasha and Ashley both agreed that having a job in high school is a good experience and prepares you for life after school. Ashley said, “Having a job gives you a taste of real life and gives you more responsibility”.
Some students say the key to having a job is all about having their priorities straight. School should be the number one priority to most students, some exceptions, and then a job. But sometimes teens become obsessed over the fact that they have money and drop out of spend less time on school. With some work places asking teens to stay until 10 or 11 and help close, teens lose valuable study time or even family time.
While being employed in high school can be very stressful and even time consuming, there are some advantages to being a full time student with a part time job. Some colleges view a student with a job as a leader or someone who can deal with stress very well. Tasha Tingey said “…you get a feel for it (work) before you have to get a job”.
In some larger cities, teens have the opportunity to get an internship rather than a paid job. This is a good thing for many reasons; one is it looks better on college applications. Also if you get an internship at a company, the chances of getting a job for those companies go up. However EHS students are at a major disadvantage because of the lack of internships available.
Whether at a fast food restaurant, a movie theater, or a grocery store, there are most likely teens employed there. But is the added stress and lack of time worth the low wages paid? Most students will say yes, because they need money for gas or to save up for college. Donna Middlemas, for example, uses her checks from subway to cover phone bills and just save up. As do most high school students.